Field Notes on Wake Early Preparation

Site: A bedroom, 11:47 PM Stated Plan: Wake at 6 AM for a productive morning Current Activity: Preparation for that morning

Observation Log

11:47 PM: The plan is formed. Tomorrow will be different. The alarm is set: 6:00 AM. The person feels the warm anticipation of a productive morning, which is available without the morning actually needing to have occurred.

11:52 PM: The task list for tomorrow morning is reviewed. Three items are added to the task list. The task list now has seven items. Seven items for a two-hour window feels optimistic. A revised task list with four priority items is drafted.

12:01 AM: The person reviews the specific reading material they intend to complete in the morning. The material is located and placed on the nightstand.

12:08 AM: An article is read in preparation for the reading to be done tomorrow. This is technically tomorrow's reading done tonight. The plan is updated to add a different reading.

12:16 AM: The clothes for tomorrow morning are selected and placed on the chair.

12:24 AM: A note is written summarizing the day's open threads, so they do not occupy mental space during the planned productive morning.

12:38 AM: The person considers setting an earlier alarm, 5:45, to have a few additional minutes. The alarm is changed. Then changed back to 6:00. Then set to 5:55 as a compromise.

12:44 AM: The person lies down.

12:51 AM: A thought about one of the tasks. A note is taken.

1:03 AM: Sleep.

Outcome

The 5:55 alarm was snoozed until 7:20 AM. The productive morning began at 8:00 AM. The reading was not done. The task list was addressed starting with the easiest items.

The clothes selection was useful. That saved four minutes.

Preparation exceeded the first useful step at 12:01 AM. The first useful step was going to sleep.